This paper describes and illustrates a new genus and a new species belonging to the family Nesticidae based on morphology and supported by molecular data. The new genus, Kryptonesticus gen. nov., groups eight species spread from Bulgaria and Turkey to Croatia, including Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Crete. As a result, seven new combinations are proposed: K. eremita (Simon, 1879)comb. nov., K. arenstorffi(Kulczyński, 1914) comb. nov., K. fagei(Kratochvíl, 1933) comb. nov., K. beroni(Deltshev, 1977) comb. nov., K. beshkovi(Deltshev, 1979) comb. nov., K. henderickxi(Bosselaers, 1998) comb. nov. and K. dimensis (López-Pancorbo, Kunt & Ribera, 2013) comb. nov., all ex Nesticus. Kryptonesticus deelemanae gen. et sp. nov. is described on the basis of both sexes and its phylogenetic relationships with closely related species are discussed based on morphological and molecular data (the cox1, rrn and H3 genes). In addition, the species of this new genus (except for K. eremita) are clear candidates for protection: they have highly restricted ranges and some of them show a high degree of adaptation to the subterranean environment.

Etymology: The prefix “Krypto”, from Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kruptós “hidden”), alludes to the long time it took
to diagnose this evolutionary line.

Distribution:
From Bulgaria and Turkey to Croatia, including Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Crete. All
these species are known only from the type locality, or have small distribution ranges. K. eremita is an
exception; this species is linked to human activities and can be found in hangars, cellars and cottages. It
has been cited from France and Italy to Bulgaria and Turkey. It is a potentially invasive species, found
in an abandoned air-raid tunnel in Auckland, New Zealand (Vink & Dupérré 2011).

Krypyonesticus deelemanae gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology: The specific name is a patronym in honor of Christa Laetitia Deeleman-Reinhold, an important Dutch
arachnologist and a dear friend. Her work has vastly raised the knowledge of the cave spider fauna of
Dinarides. The species name is in possessive genitive.

Distribution: The new species is endemic to Croatia; it is distributed on Biokovo Mt in central Dalmatia, a coastal
region in Croatia. So far it has been recorded in 20 caves scattered through the whole mountain, from
the south-west sea side to the north-east continental side, from the 310 to 1640 asl (Fig. 6A). Data
on all records of K. deelemanae gen. et sp. nov. are given in Appendix 2. The distribution area of
K. deelemanae gen. et sp. nov. is more than 80 km away from that of K. fagei and more than 100 km
from that of K. arenstorffi (Fig. 6B).

Natural history: The type locality, Samogorska špilja, is a small cave with two entrances (Fig. 7). On the date of the
last collection, 23 Jan. 2016, the air temperature in the cave was 0.5°C with cold air streaming through
the cave, mostly near the cave floor. Spiders were found freely walking on the ceiling of the chamber
(probably avoiding the cold air flow at the bottom) and on the side walls of the cave. The temperature
in other caves where K. deelemanae gen. et sp. nov. is found ranges from 0 to 15°C. Some of those caves
are very small and are greatly influenced by outside conditions (like the type locality), while the others
are quite big, have a true cave microclimate and harbor diverse types of cave habitats (for example
Pretnerova jama, a 254-meter deep pit). No other nesticid species are found in caves on Biokovo Mt.

A new secretive, yet brightly colored hermit crab species of the family Paguridae, Pylopaguropsis mollymullerae sp. n., is fully described based on specimens from the reefs of Bonaire, Lesser Antilles, southern Caribbean Sea. Populations of this new species were discovered and photographed in the Bonaire National Marine Park under a large coral ledge, at a depth of 13.7 m, living in crevices known by scuba divers to serve as den to a pair of “flaming reef lobsters” Enoplometopus antillensis, or a “broad banded moray” Channomuraenavittata. This new species is only the second species of Pylopaguropsis Alcock, 1905 known from the western Atlantic, the 20th named worldwide, and belongs in the teevana group of species of the genus. It is remarkably similar, and herein considered geminate, to the tropical eastern Pacific congener, P. teevana (Boone, 1932), the two being characterized and uniquely different from all other species of the genus, by the striking and deeply excavated, scoop-like ventral surface of the chela of the right cheliped. Minor differences separate this new species from P. teevana in the relative length of the antennal acicles (exceeding the corneas versus not exceeding the corneas in P. teevana); dorsal armature of the right chela (smooth or with scattered minute tubercles versus with numerous small tubercles in P. teevana); surface shape of the lateral face of the dactyl of right pereopod 3 (evenly convex versus flattened in P. teevana); and coloration (red bright red stripes versus brown stripes in P. teevana). The highly visible color pattern of bright red stripes on white background typical of decapods known to have cleaning symbioses with fish, dense setation on the flagella of the antennae, and preference for a crevicular habitat, combined with brief in situ nocturnal observations, suggests the possibility that P. mollymullerae sp. n. engages in “cleaner” activities or functions as a “den commensal” with moray eels. The morphology and possible meaning of the observed behavior is discussed. A tabular summary of the distribution, habitat, and published information on all species of Pylopaguropsis is presented. Supplemental photographs and a video of live P. mollymullerae sp. n. are included.

Distribution: So far known only from the island of Bonaire, Lesser Antilles, southern Caribbean Sea; depth: 11.6–13.7 m.

Etymology: The name of this new species is given to acknowledge the efforts of the collector, photographer and environmentalist, Ms Ellen Muller, who when informed of the intended honor, preferred that the name of her granddaughter, Ms Molly Muller, be used, in hopes to inspire her to continue the tradition of protecting the amazing and fragile diversity of marine life in Bonaire.

Common name: “Candy Striped Hermit Crab”, in reference to the bright white and red striped color pattern that is similar to that of traditional candy cane.

Rafael Lemaitre. 2017. Discovery of A New Species of Hermit Crab of the Genus Pylopaguropsis Alcock, 1905 from the Caribbean: “Den Commensal” or “Cleaner”? (Crustacea, Anomura, Paguridae). ZooKeys. 646: 139-158. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.646.11132

The monotypic genus Neopalpa was described in 1998 by Czech entomologist Dalibor Povolný based on two male specimens from Santa Catalina Island, California, which he named N. neonata. The female of this species was discovered recently based on a DNA barcode match and is described. In addition, a new species with marked differences in morphology and DNA barcodes from southern California and Baja California Mexico is described as Neopalpa donaldtrumpi sp. n. Adults and genitalia of both species are illustrated, new diagnosis for the genus Neopalpa is provided, and its position within Gelechiidae is briefly discussed.

Etymology: The new species is named in honor of Donald J. Trump, to be installed as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017. The reason for this choice of name is to bring wider public attention to the need to continue protecting fragile habitats in the US that still contain many undescribed species. The specific epithet is selected because of the resemblance of the scales on the frons (head) of the moth to Mr. Trump’s hairstyle. The name is a noun in the genitive case.

Distribution: So far only known from Riverside and Imperial counties in southern California and Baja California in Mexico.

Biology: Specimens collected at mercury-vapour light, black-light or Malaise trap in February, April, June and August, in dry or sandy habitats. Life history and host plant unknown.

Vazrick Nazari. 2017. Review of Neopalpa Povolný, 1998 with Description of A New Species from California and Baja California, Mexico (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae).

Partial life histories from Kenya or Tanzania are presented for Metisella midas midas (Butler), M. medea medea Evans, M. orientalis orientalis Aurivillius, M. quadrisignatus nanda Evans, M. congdoni De Jong & Kielland and M. willemi Wallengren. The ovum of Metisella formosus linda Evans is also illustrated from Zambia. All feed on species of grasses (Poaceae). The convergence of the biology of the grass-feeding skippers, particularly Heteropterinae and Hesperiinae, Baorini is discussed.

Molecular dating studies typically need fossils to calibrate the analyses. Unfortunately, the fossil record is extremely poor or presently non-existent for many species groups, rendering such dating analysis difficult. One such group is the Asian horned frogs (Megophryinae). Sampling all generic nomina, we combined a novel ∼5kb dataset composed of four nuclear and three mitochondrial gene fragments to produce a robust phylogeny, with an extensive external morphological study to produce a working taxonomy for the group. Expanding the molecular dataset to include out-groups of fossil represented ancestral anuran families, we compared the priorless RelTime dating method with the widely used prior based Bayesian timetree method, MCMCtree, utilising a novel combination of fossil priors for anuran phylogenetic dating. The phylogeny was then subjected to ancestral phylogeographic analyses, and dating estimates were compared with likely biogeographic vicariant events. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that previously proposed systematic hypotheses were incorrect due to paraphyly of genera. Molecular phylogenetic, morphological and timetree results support the recognition of Megophryinae as a single genus, Megophrys, with a subgenus level classification. Timetree results using RelTime better corresponded with the known fossil record for the outgroup anuran tree. For the priorless in-group, it also outperformed MCMCtree when node date estimates were compared with likely influential historical biogeographic events, providing novel insights into the evolutionary history of this pan-Asian anuran group. Given a relatively small molecular dataset, and limited prior knowledge, this study demonstrates that the computationally rapid RelTime dating tool may outperform more popular and complex prior reliant timetree methodologies.

A new species of the genus Sulawesifulvius, S. thailandicus Wolski, Yasunaga & Gorczyca, sp. n., is described from Thailand. The present finding also represents the first distribution record in Indochina for the genus. Color adult habitus images for S. thailandicus and S. schuhi (type species of the genus), male genital drawings of S. thailandicus, and scanning electron micrographs of selected structures of S. schuhi and S. thailandicus are provided.

Diagnosis: Recognized by the following set of characters: dorsum yellow with large dark brown and red areas (Figs 2–3); parameres as described below and depicted in Figs 14–17; endosoma with three well-developed sclerites.

A checklist of Ensifera and Acridomorpha of Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve, Kisarawe near Dar es Salaam is given and eight new Tettigoniidae species described. These are the Agraeciini species Afroagraecia kisarawe n. sp., the Meconematinae species Phlugidia kisarawe n. sp., and the female of Aerotegmina megaloptera (Hexacentrinae). The Phaneropterinae species Dioncomena scutellata n. sp. is known at present only from two localities, the Pugu Hills near Dar es Salaam and Kwamgumi forest reseve on the foothills of the East Usambara Mountains. Two new Eurycorypha species, E. annexata n. sp. and E. ligata n. sp. are described from the area known at present only from the male sex. A second species is described in the genus Lunidia Hemp,L. acuticercata n. sp. Two new Phaneropterinae genera are erected on Pseudopreussia flavifolia n. gen. n. sp. and Materuana ericki n. gen. n. sp., species of wet lowland forest along coastal Tanzania and forest reserves in the East Usambara and on the foothills of the Uluguru Mountains.

Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve is severly threatened by encroachment and deforestation although it is recognized as belonging to the oldest surviving forests of the world.

Claudia Hemp. 2017. Annotated Checklist of Orthoptera from Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve, Tanzania with the Description of New Species and Discussion of the Biogeographic Patterns of Threatened Species. Zootaxa. 4226(2); 151–193. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4226.2.1

Abstract

A list of the Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) of the East Usambara Mountains is presented and 16 new species are described from East Africa. A total number of 29 Tettigoniidae species is recorded for the East Usambara Mountains. New species are described from the Shimba Hills in Kenya, coastal Tanzania from the Kazimzumbwi forest reserve, Mt Kilimanjaro, the East and West Usambara and Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania, namely in Conocephalinae Afroagraecia pwania n. sp., Afroagraecia shimbaensis n. sp., Afroanthracites discolor n. sp., Afroanthracites jagoi n. sp. and Afroanthracites viridis n. sp., in Meconematinae Afrophisis flagellata n. sp., Afrophisis kisarawe n. sp., Afrophisis mazumbaiensis n. sp. and Afrophisis pseudoflagellata n. sp., in Hexacentrinae Aerotegmina megaloptera n. sp., in Mecopodinae Apteroscirtus cristatus n. sp., and A. planidorsatus n. sp., in Phaneropterinae Gelotopoia amabilis n. sp., and in Pseudophyllinae Cymatomerella pardopunctata n. sp. and Cymatomera viridimaculata n. sp. Seven species are endemic to the East Usambara Mountains which are 25% of the recorded forest-bound bush crickets. The Tettigoniidae fauna is compared between the East Usambara Mountains and Mt Kilimanjaro and mechanisms of speciation discussed in Orthoptera for the area. New Tettigoniidae records are given for Mt Kilimanjaro (Oxyecous apertus Ragge, Tropidonotacris grandis Ragge and Eurycorypha conclusa Hemp).

Keywords: New species, new records, species list, diversity, endemism, speciation, East Africa, Tettigoniidae

Claudia Hemp. 2014. Annotated list of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania and new Tettigoniidae species from East Africa. Zootaxa. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3737.4.1

Three new species of Rock GeckosCnemaspis lineogularis sp. nov., C. phangngaensis sp. nov., and C. thachanaensis sp. nov. of the chanthaburiensis and siamensis groups are described from the Thai portion of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. These new species are distinguished from all other species in their two respective groups based on a unique combination of morphological characteristics, which is further supported by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2). Cnemaspis lineogularis sp. nov. is differentiated from all other species in the chanthaburiensis group by having a smaller maximum SVL 38 mm, 13 paravertebral tubercles, enlarged femoral scales, no caudal bands, and a 19.5–23.0% pairwise sequence divergence (ND2). Cnemaspis phangngaensis sp. nov. is differentiated from all other species in the siamensis group by having the unique combination of 10 infralabial scales, four continuous pore-bearing precloacal scales, paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged, lacking tubercles on the lower flanks, having ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly present, caudal tubercles restricted to a single paraveterbral row on each side, a single median row of keeled subcaudals, and a 8.8–25.2% pairwise sequence divergence (ND2). Cnemaspis thachanaensis sp. nov. is distinguished from all other species in the siamensis group by having 10 or 11 supralabial scales 9–11 infralabial scales, paravertebral tubercles linearly arranged, ventrolateral caudal tubercles anteriorly, caudal tubercles restricted to a single paravertebral row on each side, a single median row of keeled subcaudal scales, lacking a single enlarged subcaudal scale row, lacking postcloaclal tubercles in males, the presence of an enlarged submetatarsal scale at the base if the 1st toe, and a 13.4–28.8% pairwise sequence divergence (ND2). The new phylogenetic analyses place C. punctatonuchalis and C. vandeventeri in the siamensis group with C. punctatonuchalis as the sister species to C. huaseesom and C. vandeventeri as the sister species to C. siamensis, corroborating previous hypotheses based on morphology. The discovery of three new karst-dwelling endemics brings the total number of nominal Thai Cnemaspis species to 15 and underscores the need for continued field research in poorly known areas of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, especially those that are threatened and often overlooked as biodiversity hot spots.

Otters (subfamily Lutrinae) are semi-aquatic predators in the family Mustelidae. Modern otters have a worldwide distribution but their fossil record is poor, often consisting of fragmentary jaws and teeth. Multiple lineages have developed bunodont dentitions with enlargements of molars, usually for cracking molluscs or other hard foods. Some lineages have evolved badger-like teeth and, as a result, were often confused with melines (Old World badger clade). Siamogale thailandica Ginsburg, Invagat, & Tassy, 1983 from the middle Miocene basin of Mae Moh in northern Thailand is one such species, whose fragmentary dental remains have thus far impeded our understanding. A new species of fossil otter, Siamogale melilutra sp. nov., represented by a nearly complete cranium, mandible and partial skeletons of at least three individuals, was recovered from the latest Miocene (∼6.2 Ma) lignite beds of the Shuitangba Site in north-eastern Yunnan Province, south-western China. Computed tomography (CT) restoration of the crushed skull reveals a combination of otter-like and badger-like cranial and dental characteristics. The new species belongs to the Lutrinae because of its possession of a large infraorbital canal and ventral expansion of the mastoid process, among other traits. A distally expanded M1, however, gives a badger-like appearance. In overall morphology the Shuitangba otter is closest to Siamogale thailandica. A previously described jaw (‘Lutra’ aonychoides) from the early Pliocene of the Yushe Basin in north China is also here referred to S. melilutra. No previous attempt has been made to provide a global phylogenetic framework for otters. We present the first combined morphological and molecular (nuclear and mitochondrial DNAs) character matrices of five extant (Pteronura, Lontra, Enhydra, Aonyx, Lutra) and eight extinct genera (Tyrrhenolutra, Paralutra, Paludolutra, Enhydritherium, Siamogale, Vishnuonyx, Sivaonyx, Enhydriodon) to better understand the evolution of bunodont otters. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses consistently recover an eastern Asian clade that includes forms from Shuitangba, Yushe and Mae Moh, all of which are referred to Siamogale.

Artist's reconstruction of two individuals ofSiamogale melilutra sp. nov., one of them feeding on a freshwater clam. The tapir in the background is Tapirus yunnanensis (Ji et al. 2015). Aquatic plants include water chestnut (Typha) and fox nut (Euryale) (Huang et al. 2015), and the low shrub in foreground is Sichuan peppercorn (Zanthoxylum).

Siamogale has typical lutrine cranial and dental morphologies: a large infraorbital canal, presence of antorbital fossa, uninflated bulla, robust and protruding mastoid process, mastoid process separated by a broad shelf from the paroccipital process, postglenoid foramen positioned anteriorly to the auditory meatus, inion positioned anteriorly relative to the lambdoid crest, stylomastoid foramen separated by a bony ridge from the tympanohyal-bulla connection, masseter muscle attachment area ventrally expanded to beyond the ventral rim of the masseteric fossa, parallel zygomatic arches, shortened angular process, premolars with surrounding cingulum, shortening of P4 metastylar blade, presence of a notch between talonid and trigonid of m1, and widening of m1 talonid. Siamogale differs from Paralutra jaegeri by the presence of a distal ridge of m1 metaconid connected to the entoconid crest, M1 cuspule distal to metacone, and absence of P4 metastylar notch. Siamogale differs from Paludolutra, Tyrrhenolutra and Enhydritherium in having a crestiform protocone, lack of hypocone and presence of parastyle on P4, a distolingually expanded M1 talon, and metaconule placed distally to the metacone.

Diagnosis:Siamogale melilutra is distinct from S. thailandica in its large size, more posteriorly reclined mandibular ascending ramus, a continuous P4 protocone crest extending distally to the metastyle (in contrast to a more cuspidate P4 protocone in S. thailandica), a relatively less distally expanded M1 lingual cingulum, a more shortened m1, and an m1 metaconid ridge being differentiated into a discrete metastylid.

Etymology: mēlēs and melis (feminine), Latin, badger; lutra (feminine), Latin, otter; a reference to the mixture of typically lutrine and meline cranial and dental morphology in this species.

Figure 12. Artist's reconstruction of two individuals ofSiamogale melilutra sp. nov., one of them feeding on a freshwater clam. The tapir in the background is Tapirus yunnanensis (Ji et al. 2015). Aquatic plants include water chestnut (Typha) and fox nut (Euryale) (Huang et al. 2015), and the low shrub in foreground is Sichuan peppercorn (Zanthoxylum).

A new species of Argostemmateae, Mycetia dagohoyana, thriving in the moist humus soils in open areas of Agusan del Norte, Philippines, is described and illustrated. This new species resembles M. javanica but is distinct by its densely strigose leaf blades, 9−11 mm stipules that are attenuate at apex and glabrous adaxially, subsessile inflorescences in congested thyrse, 2−3 mm calyces that are cupuliform and puberulous, shorter (1–2 mm) and puberulous corolla lobes, and smaller (5−6 mm in diam.) and sparsely hirsute fruits.